Jesus: Worthy of Worship

Next Sunday is Resurrection Sunday, which means that today is Palm Sunday. It’s the commemoration of an event at the beginning of the final week of Jesus’ life. It may have happened on a Monday, but it’s celebrated on our calendars today.

After three years of ministry, Jesus entered Jerusalem one more time on a young donkey, and the people were excited. They laid their coats on the floor, they held up palm branches, and they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

Just a few days later, the same crowd would be calling for His death. How did the people’s perception of Jesus change so quickly? Jesus was not the Messiah they were expecting or hoping for. They had an idea of what Jesus was supposed to do for them, but when that didn’t happen, they turned against Him.

There is a parallel sentiment behind the letter to the Hebrews. The book was written to Jewish people who had heard about Jesus, and possibly even professed faith, but now, they want to turn away from Him and go back to their previous form of Judaism.

And so, the author of Hebrews open the book with a clear and explicit explanation of Jesus Himself who is greater than anything the previous system could offer.

These were religious people. They wanted to serve God. They knew their Bibles. They honored their Bibles. They recognized that God’s word had come to them through the holy angels. But now, there has come a new revelation claiming to be superior.

Since the new revelation is superior, the point Hebrews 1 is making is that the mediator of the new covenant is a superior mediator. The Old Covenant came through God’s angels. But the New Covenant has come through God’s Son.

This is what the end of verse 4 says. Jesus has become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

In his humiliation, Jesus’ glory was veiled. He came in poverty. He died in humiliation and weakness. But now, after the Resurrection and ascension, Jesus is known by His disciples for who He really is. He is the one-of-a-kind Son of God. He is the Savior and Redeemer. He is the Great High Priest. He is the Lamb of God. He is greater than any angel.

To make this point, the writer cites seven Old Testament passages which find their true fulfilment in Jesus. These passages help remind us about Jesus’ true identity.

The passages in verse 5 reminded us that Jesus is the unique Son of God. He is one with the Father, of the same essence. He is the unique Son. That was supported with Psalm 2, which speaks of God’s anointed King ruling over the world, and 2 Samuel 7, which is the promise of a Son of David who will reign forever. There is no other “son” like Jesus. All that the Father is, Jesus is.

The emphasis in Hebrews was the use of the word “Son,” but the themes of the cited passages include ruling over the nations. As the Son, He has inherited everything, and He will come one day to claim it.

Now, as we continue in verse 6 and we see a second attribute of Jesus. He is the unique Son, and, number two, He receives worship. Jesus receives worship. We are going to spend all our time on this today, so it might feel more like a theology lesson than a sermon, but I trust it will be beneficial to us.

Verse 6—And again, when he [God] brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God's angels worship him.”

Some take this verse as looking forward to the day Jesus returns to earth. And on that day, everyone will know Jesus’ identity. He is “the firstborn.” That what He’s called here.

The Greek word is protótokos. Chronologically, it can refer to the child born first, but the word primarily points to authority or honor.

For example, in the Old Testament, if a man’s oldest child was a daughter, she was not considered the “firstborn” in the official sense. The title of “firstborn,” along with the larger inheritance, went to the oldest son.

You might also remember that Esau was the chronological firstborn of Isaac, but his birthright, the right of the firstborn, was given to Jacob, the younger brother. In that instance, the younger son was considered the “firstborn.” So, the idea of the word isn’t primarily about chronology; it's about authority and status.

This is what we see when the word is used by the Apostle Paul. Romans 8:29 says Jesus is the firstborn among many brothers. Colossians 1:15 says He is the firstborn of all creation. That’s not chronological because Jesus was never created. He has no beginning. He is the One through whom all things were created.

John 1:3 says all things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. Jesus is not a created being. He is Creator.

So, when we say He is the firstborn of all creation, we’re talking about His authority and His supremacy over it.

And to make this even clearer, the writer cites God Himself, who says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” The Greek phrase there isn’t an exact quote, but it’s very close to the words of Deuteronomy 32:43 and Psalm 97:7. There are differences in translations, so your Bible might word those verses a little differently, or even have it as footnote.

In Deuteronomy 32. Moses is near the end of his life. He commissions Joshua as the new leader, and then he delivers a song to Israel praising God and recounting their history. The song was a call for them not to ignore God’s instruction.

Near the end of the song, verse 43 in some versions says, “Rejoice, with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods.” It’s a reminder of God’s power and authority.

In Psalm 97, we have a blend of dread and joy regarding the judgment and salvation of God. And speaking to the idolatry of the world, it says, “All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; worship him, all you gods!”

Now, for Deuteronomy 32:43 and Psalm 97:7, the Greek version of the Old Testament, which was very common in the time of the New Testament, instead of saying “all gods” says “all the angels of God.” This is how we end up with the citation here in Hebrews.

The Greek translation of the Old Testament is known as the Septuagint, and it was written between the times of the Old and New Testaments, when Greek became a global language. In that time, the translators understood the references to “gods” (which we write with a lowercase “g”) as a reference to heavenly, angelic beings, whether holy or evil.

This interpretation lines up with what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10. He says there is no such thing as another god. Whatever an idols stands for doesn’t actually exist. But behind that false god is a demon, a wicked, deceitful angelic being working for Satan.

Do you remember how the demons responded to Jesus during His earthly ministry? They hated Him. They were terrified. They begged Him not to torment them or cast them into the abyss, which is a spiritual prison. The demons understand who Jesus is. They know His power and His authority. Whatever Jesus says to do, they do. He is not an angel like them; He is the Son of God.

So, whether it’s the holy, elect angels, or the wicked, fallen angels, all angels bow down to Jesus Christ. God commands them to do it. When you see the word “let” there, don’t think that it’s allowing them to do it. This is in the form of a command from God. One way or another, in judgment or in reverence, all the angels worship Jesus Christ.

This is such an important fact because the Bible makes it clear that angels are not to receive worship. They are messengers; they are servants.

In Revelation 19:10, when the Apostle John gets a glorious vision of Christ’s return, it says that he falls down at the angels feet to worship. But the angel immediately says, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.”

Later in Revelation 22, verses 8-9 it happens again. John sees a vision, and he falls down at the feet of the messenger. But the angel says, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

So, what does it mean if an angel won’t accept worship, but instead directs worship to God, and yet, at the same time, God calls the angels to worship the Son? What does that mean? It means Jesus is not an angel. He is God—of the same essence and authority as the Father.

It’s important for you to know that while this is basic Christian theology, it is what groups like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons deny.

Jehovah’s Witnesses stand very strongly on the idea that there is only one God, whom they refer to as Jehovah. And in doing that, they claim that Jesus is not God. He is a created being.

In fact, they equate Jesus with Michael the archangel. The problem with that is that Jesus demonstrates His authority over Satan by rebuking him, while Michael, in Jude 9, does not rebuke Satan but calls on the Lord. Michael is a mighty, powerful angel, but Jesus is greater. He’s not a greater angel. He is God.

If you ask a Jehovah’s Witness if they worship Jesus, they have to tell you, “No.” What they do is say that Jesus is worthy of homage, of obeisance. And that’s how they translate every instance of this Greek word when it’s connected to Jesus.

The Greek word is proskunéo, and there are times when the word is used for human relationships. So, it can mean to bow down or to kiss the hand in reverence and honor.

The question, then, is: should we translate it as “worship” in reference to Jesus?

The answer from Hebrews is: Yes, because Jesus is not an angel. When John bows before an angel [proskunéo], the angel says “Stop that!” But, in the gospels, and here is Hebrews, when people or angels bow before Jesus [proskunéo], He never corrects them. He never says, “Well, hold on a second. Are you paying homage or are you worshiping?”

Why doesn’t He ask them that? It’s because we have the words of John 5:22-23 which say that the Father has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

We have to admit there is a mystery here, but this is what the Bible teaches. Jesus is God. He is worthy of, and is to receive, worship—from you and me, and from the angels.

Now, while Jehovah’s Witness deny the deity of Christ, Mormon theology denies the exclusivity of Christ as Son of God. They will affirm that Jesus is divine, but what they mean by that is that Jesus, before creation, was the spiritual offspring of God the Father and some heavenly mother.

They claim Jesus is eternal, but they only mean that in the sense that He will live forever—not in the sense that He was never created. Mormon theology teaches that Jesus and Satan are spiritual brothers. One was exalted, and one was rejected.

In their view, Jesus then came to earth, taking on a human body, and then, in dying and resurrecting, He was exalted to the full status of God. And now, anyone who believes in Him and obeys Him can one day become a God as well. This is basically a form of polytheism. There’s an entire race of gods, and you can become one.

What does the Bible say? There is only one God. And we are called to worship Him forever through His Son Jesus.

God calls the angels to worship Jesus. This is the picture of Daniel 7 with tens of thousands times ten thousand angels standing before God in worship, and then the Son of Man comes forward, and He is given dominion and glory.

In Psalm 103, after David praise God for all His blessings—for forgiveness, for healing, for rejuvenation—he says, “Bless the Lord, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do His will!”

Angels serve God. They hear His voice, and they obey. Angels worship Jesus Christ.

In verse 7 of Hebrews 1, we get another citation. It says—Of the angels he [God] says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” This is coming from Psalm 104:4.

It’s just one brief citation, but notice what it points out to us about the relationship between Jesus and the angels. It says “He makes,” which tells us that Jesus is their Creator. It says “His angels,” which tells us that Jesus is their Owner. It calls them “His ministers,” which tells us that Jesus is their Ruler.

Angels are mysterious and impressive. They are spiritual beings described here as winds and fire—invisible, power, and potentially destructive. We have passages in both the Old and New Testaments where angels both rescue people and bring fiery judgment.

There’s a story in Genesis where angels strike a group of men blind. In Exodus, and angels kills the firstborn of Egypt. In 2 Kings 6, there’s a fiery army of angels with horses and chariots sent to protect the prophet Elisha from a threatening army. In 2 Kings 19, a single angels kills 185,000 Assyrians in one night.

At Jesus’ resurrection, it says there was an earthquake on the morning Jesus was raised from the dead. The earthquake was because an angel had come down from heaven. In 2 Thessalonians 1, it says that Christ will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire and vengeance.

Angels are powerful, powerful creatures. And yet, if you belong to Christ, there’s not thing to fear because angels serve Jesus. Don’t pray to the angels. Pray to God. Pray to Jesus. Jesus Himself said He could call down a legion of angels if He wanted to. They serve Jesus, and they worship Him.

Today’s message was predominantly a theology lesson. And like I said before, the understanding that Jesus is God is fundamental. It’s a basic part of our faith. It’s Christianity 101. If you don’t know this, or if you don’t accept this, you’re not a Christian. Jesus is the Messiah, and He is God. He has all authority in heaven and on earth.

But as we close, I simply want to move you into the advanced lesson. We’re going from Christianity 101 to Christianity 401. This is much more advanced.

The most challenging part about these doctrines is not debating them or proving them from Scripture. The most challenging aspect is living it out. That’s the true struggle.

It’s one thing to know what Christianity teaches. It’s another thing to actually implement that into your own life, and to do it at all times.

Why did the crowd on Palm Sunday call for Jesus’ death just a few days later? Because their idea and their timing of the Messiah didn’t line up with who Jesus was and is. And that is the very same problem every single one of us faces.

At any given point in your life, and at any given point in your day, you have an idea about Jesus. Maybe you think of Him as gentle or kind. And He is. Maybe you think of Him as a healer, and He is. Maybe you think about His judgment, which is real.

But how does the reality of Jesus affect the way you live your life?

Jesus, the only Son of God, the One who commands angels, has given us His word. He has given us instructions for life. The fundamental instruction is that you trust in Him. Surrender your life to Him. Believe that He died and rose and again, and just like the angels, you need to worship Him.

If you have never made that commitment, I can say on the authority of Christ, that this is what God wants from you first. Surrender to Him. Trust in Him alone for salvation. Bow before Him.

And for those of us who have done it already, we need to keep doing it. We should always be worshiping.

We worship Him here on Sunday mornings in music and in receiving the word, but we are called to worship Him in every moment too.

Jesus, the only Son of God, the One whom angels serve and worship, has given us His word. This is greater and more effective and more powerful and more authoritative than any celebrity endorsement or any lifestyle coach, or any other earthly instruction.

Men, Jesus has given us instructions for how to treat our wives. Wives, you have instructions for how to respond to your husband. Children, there are instructions for how to relate to your parents.

Jesus, having received all authority in heaven and on earth, has told us what our lives should be focused on—telling people about Him and helping them follow Him.

He has told us about sexual purity. He has told us about how to be in the workplace. He has told us about how to respond to one another, even those who sin against us.

Do you live in submission to Son of God? If you belong to Him, then you will, as a general pattern, but even then, you are going to fail. We all do.

So, then what? What happens when you sin against the eternal, glorious, all-powerful Son of God? You do what He says. You confess, and you trust in his mercy and His kindness and His love. You remember His death on your behalf and the power of His resurrection which His Spirit grants you to walk in newness of life.

Our Lord, our captain, has given us His orders. The angels hear and obey, and so should we. We serve and we worship, because Jesus is worthy.